See Also

Zero Tolerance for Underage Drinking or Possession of Alcohol

by David J. Hanson, Ph.D.

Zero tolerance for underage drinking or possession of alcoholic
beverages (beer, wine or distilled spirits) is currently a popular
policy. However, it appears that the well-intentioned practice may
be ineffective or even counterproductive. For example, a study by
the Indiana Education Policy Center at Indiana University led to
the researcher’s conclusion that “zero tolerance is
a political response, not an educationally sound solution.”

Popularity of a program or practice does not demonstrate effectiveness.
In fact, clearly ineffective programs such as the Drug Abuse Resistance
Education (DARE) program continue to receive strong public support.

An overview of zero tolerance practices and evidence of their effectiveness
is found at Zero Tolerance.

Additional information about zero tolerance is provided on these
pages: